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Started:
1986
Completed: 1987
Type: 15'-2" x 6'-0"
Cabin Sail Boat
Location:
Texas
Built By:
Steve Earley
Link to the Nancy's China DC Page
in the Design Catalog |
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Here are some photos of my Nancy's China design "Spartina".
It's an open cockpit, gaff rigged version that I
built in Texas, with extensive help from my Dad,
Walt Earley, in 1986 - 87. I believe it took about
14 months of work. The stitch and glue hull went
together very easily. The mast is hollow box mast
made of Sitka Spruce. I chose the gaff rig as I did
not was not familiar with the sprit rig in the
original plans. The main is 110 square feet and the
jib is 30 square feet. I think this is more sail
area than the plans call for, but I'm very
comfortable with it. If the breeze picks up I'll put
a reef in the main and it works out just right.
Someday I may get a larger jib. I day-sailed
Spartina on a lake in Central Texas for the most
part, but also took the sloop camper cruising - with
a boom tent and gas stove - on the shallow bays
along the Texas coast. After a few years, I moved to
Chesapeake, Va. in the southeastern part of the
state. I kept the boat in a slip on the Pasquotank
River in nearby Elizabeth City, North Carolina,
sailing whenever I had a break from work. When
children arrived in our family in the early 90's, I
found I didn't have much free time for sailing, so I
put the boat in my garage. This past winter, with my
two daughters growing up, I decided to refinish
Spartina. I sanded down the hull, repainted, patched
a couple of spots of rot, put on new rub rails and
bow sprit. We launched in mid-June and have been
enjoying the rivers and bays of Virginia and the
sounds of North Carolina all summer long. I'm
keeping the boat on a trailer so I can explore
different areas up and down the coast. |
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The
boat is a pleasure to sail. Very comfortable in a
stiff breeze, but moves along nicely in a light
wind. My daughters appreciate the solid feel of the
boat on the water. I think it is a beautiful design
and get compliments whenever I am out sailing. I
would recommend both the design and construction
method to anyone interested in a sloop of this size.
Mr. Devlin has come up with a beautiful boat. I'll
be glad to answer questions you might have.
Thanks,
Steve Earley
E-mail Steve
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